<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Potter Noir by badel811</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29384268">Potter Noir</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/badel811/pseuds/badel811'>badel811</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Bisexual Disaster, British Expats, F/M, Kid Harry Potter, Kidnapping, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:28:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29384268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/badel811/pseuds/badel811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Detective Regulus Black is a British immigrant to America with a past he'd like to forget about. When he's assigned as lead detective into the kidnapping of the son of baseball star James Potter, however, he's forced to confront that past when he comes face to face with a brother he hadn't seen in ten years and who he'd thought was dead. </p><p>Regulus navigates asshole coworkers and slimy suspects as he works to find young Harry Potter before its too late. And maybe also try to figure out why James Potter won't leave him alone. Or why his brother picked such a stupid fake name. Or why Lily Potter keeps STARING at him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a rare day off for Regulus Black, and that meant only one thing: spending the entire day on the sofa yelling at his TV. </p><p>"Oh my God, why? WHY would you shoot me right there, you complete and utter ass!"</p><p>Regulus liked Red Dead Online perhaps a little TOO much.</p><p>"Alright you knobhead, let's see how you like explosive ammo in your fucking ballsack!"</p><p>If the curse words being flung at him were any indication, they did not like that at all. Regulus sighed as the match ended. This was a good day. Off days meant no thinking about work, or the past, no gym, eating junk food, it was the perfect way to unwind. Especially since his friends told him he was "too high strung", which Regulus thought was just a polite way of saying "asshole."</p><p>His phone rang. The work one. Shit.</p><p>"Detective Black speaking."</p><p>"Black, it's Crouch. Sorry to call on your day off."</p><p>"It's alright Captain, what is it?" Regulus said, getting off the couch and heading for the bedroom. He already knew he was being called in, so he needed to get dressed.</p><p>"It's a fucking nightmare, is what it is. James Potter's son was just kidnapped from his school."</p><p>Regulus stopped. "The baseball guy Kingsley's friends with?"</p><p>"Exactly. Department policy says that detectives can't lead investigations if they personally know the victim, which leaves out Kingsley and Moody, Scrimgeour is out of the goddamn country and Lupin is still in the hospital. So I'm making you lead."</p><p>Shit. Regulus only hesitated for a moment, though. "Alright, what do we know?"</p><p>******</p><p>By the time Regulus arrived at the Potter residence half an hour later, he knew the facts: Harry James Potter, aged 8, was taken from his school by an unknown man with a gun. He'd pretended to be a police officer, and when that failed to convince the secretary to release the boy to him, he'd pulled the weapon and threatened to shoot her. Detective Barty Crouch Junior, Captain Crouch's son, was at the school now, taking witness statements and pulling surveillance video.</p><p>Harry's father, James, was one of the city's favorite sons. He was a star player for the baseball team, was worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and regularly rubbed shoulders with the upper echelons of city politics, including the mayor, police commissioner, and many of Regulus' colleagues. James' wife Lily was a trauma surgeon at the hospital, well established in her field. Detective Kingsley Shacklebolt, a friend of the family, was going to meet with Regulus at the house and stay with the Potters for the duration of the "crisis period," the first 72 hours after a kidnapping takes place. </p><p>Back at police headquarters, Captain Crouch was handling inquiries from the brass and from media people, while Detective Alastor Moody and the cast of junior detectives were working to generate leads. All of this effort was being directed towards a single point, and that was Regulus. He was the man who was supposed to absorb all this data being generated by his colleagues and with it, solve the crime that had been committed here. Adding to the pressure, of course, was the fact that a little boy had been taken, and if they didn't find him within 72 hours, odds were that if they ever found him at all, it would only be remains.</p><p>Regulus knew he wasn't going to be sleeping for awhile, so he downed a can of energy drink he kept in the car for situations like this, since he was the only cop in the city who didn't drink coffee. He was British born, after all, he drank tea, which nobody could make properly here in America. It was one of the few things he missed about his birth country.</p><p>He pulled up outside the mansion the Potters had in the opulent section of town. It was a zoo. A line of cops was working to keep away a swarm of reporters with cameras and gawking onlookers who apparently thought that the crime of the century was going to take place right here in the front garden.</p><p>Kingsley met him at the front door. "It's a hell of a thing, Reggie."</p><p>"I know it, mate. It should be you leading this."</p><p>"Nah, Captain's right, I'm too close to this. Besides, you'll do fine. The Potters are just through here."</p><p>James Potter looked just like he did on the billboards around town, tall, athletic, handsome, with jet black hair that seemed incapable of being tamed. Well, not exactly like the billboards. Instead of the carefree smile that adorned his face in those, this version of James Potter was a mixture of worry, fear, and anger. Lily Potter did not look like your typical athlete's trophy wife, she was beautiful, yes, but also...fierce, Regulus thought was the best way to describe her. Perhaps it was accentuated by her fiery red hair and bright green eyes. She looked practically frantic with worry.</p><p>"James, Lily? I want to introduce you to Detective Black, he's going to be leading the investigation."</p><p>James stepped up and shook his hand. Lily looked at him in confusion for a second, tilting her head.</p><p>"Are you alright, ma'am?" Regulus asked. </p><p>She seemed to shake herself out of whatever trance she was in. "Oh, yes, sorry. You just...remind me of someone I know." </p><p>Regulus shelved that weirdness for now, work came first. </p><p>"Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I'm very sorry this happened to your family. I'm going to do everything I can to find your son, I've got the entire department, the whole city backing me up on that. I'd like to ask a couple questions, alright?"</p><p>They both nodded.</p><p>"Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt your family, or Harry? A custody dispute, ex-boyfriend/girlfriends, any kind of money disputes?"</p><p>They both shook their heads.</p><p>"Has anyone made any kinds of threats against you?"</p><p>Lily again shook her head, while James said, "Just the usual shit that gets sent to the stadium. 'You guys better win the pennant or else,' that kind of thing. Nothing that specifically mentioned my son, though."</p><p>"Who was supposed to pick Harry up from school today?" </p><p>"I was," James said. "It's the offseason, so I don't have work usually. We were going to go ice skating, he...he really likes ice skating...."</p><p>James tailed off and Kingsley put a hand on his shoulder. </p><p>"Okay, we'll need a recent photograph of Harry. And we'll also need...." Regulus swallowed awkwardly. </p><p>"We need his toothbrush," Kingsley finished. </p><p>"Just in case we find anything we need to match it to, to confirm his identity," Regulus continued. The implication of what they might find that needed to be matched was left unsaid. Lily got up and left the room without a word.</p><p>"Lily blames herself for this, I know she does," James said when she was gone. "She wanted to quit medical school when Harry was born, I convinced her not to. She thinks she isn't there for him enough. But I also know she wouldn't be happy as a stay at home mom. She loves her work. I just don't understand how something like this could happen!"</p><p>"Trust me James, we're going to find out," Kingsley said. "Reggie is one of the best we have."</p><p>Lily came back in, clutching a photograph and a kid's toothbrush. Regulus dropped the toothbrush into an evidence baggie he had in his suit jacket, and looked at the photograph. Harry was the spitting image of James, with one obvious exception: he'd inherited Lily's bright green eyes. He also wore glasses.</p><p>"Kingsley is going to stay here with you," Regulus said. "If you think of anything, anything at all that might help us, you tell him, and he'll pass it to me. I'm going to go now, but I will keep in touch, alright?"</p><p>He turned to leave, but someone caught his arm, and he turned back. It was Lily.</p><p>"Please," she said, voice thick with emotion, green eyes shining with tears, "Please, bring him back to me. I'm begging you."</p><p>After taking a second to compose himself, he nodded. "I will, Mrs. Potter. I will do whatever I have to do to bring your son back to you, I swear it."</p><p>He had to do it, he knew that now. If he didn't, that face, those eyes, those words, they'd fill his nightmares for the rest of his life.</p><p>******</p><p>Regulus had talked with Kingsley on the way out.</p><p>"No, their marriage seemed very strong, from what I saw," Kingsley said. "They were high school sweethearts, you know. Harry is the light of their life."</p><p>"Why did she look at me weird when I walked in?"</p><p>Kingsley chuckled. "Well, you do look a lot like one of their friends, Stanley Boardman. He's British too, that probably made it worse."</p><p>"Huh. Alright, I gotta get back to the bullpen,  I suppose the Captain wants me to rally the troops. They're going to be insufferable."</p><p>"Hey," Kingsley said firmly, "Don't worry about that. You do your job, and right now that job is finding Harry Potter. Anyone gives you a hard time, forget the Captain. You call me, and I'LL kick their ass for you."</p><p>Regulus smiled. "Thanks King."</p><p>"Anytime, Lord Black."</p><p>"Ugh, I HATE when you call me that."</p><p>"Well it's your title, isn't it?"</p><p>"It's a courtesy title I didn't even bloody want. And I wish you wouldn't make me out to be bloody Sherlock Holmes to the Potters."</p><p>"On the contrary, that's exactly what they need to hear, Reggie. They need the reassurance that we're putting our best effort forward. Enough chitchat, go find the boy. Alive, please, I really like him, and his parents."</p><p>******</p><p>"How are you getting on, Barty?"</p><p>"Not too bad, Boss."</p><p>"Do NOT call me that, or I'll start referring to you as 'Junior,' like your dad does."</p><p>"....That's not funny, Reggie. Anyway I have the surveillance video downloaded, where should I send it?"</p><p>"Email it to Dawlish, I'll have him put it up on the screen here."</p><p>"Do you want me to come back?"</p><p>"Hang on a minute. I want to look at the video first."</p><p>"Copy."</p><p>Regulus hung up the phone, and looked around the bullpen. He spotted Alastor Moody talking to some of the other detectives. </p><p>"Alastor?" Regulus called out. The older man looked over at him, and Regulus jerked his head. Moody came over.</p><p>"Barty's sending over the surveillance video. Watch it with me?"</p><p>Moody nodded. They walked over to the desk of John Dawlish, a detective who specialized in A/V stuff and who Regulus privately thought was a snot nosed little jerk.</p><p>"Dawlish, Barty just emailed you the surveillance, put it up on the screen, please?"</p><p>Dawlish gave him a petulant look, like he always did, but wasn't going to say anything in front of Moody, who was known to slap detectives upside the head that gave him attitude. A few clicks of the mouse later, and the video was up on the screen.</p><p>"There's our guy," Regulus said as a man with long black hair came into the office. </p><p>"Who does this guy think he's fooling? No wonder the secretary didn't buy he was a cop," Moody growled. Regulus saw his point,  the guy didn't exactly look put together. His hair was unkempt, and hung loose around his face, and he was wearing poorly fitting clothes that looked worn out.</p><p>Suddenly the man pulled a gun from behind his back and brandished it. He disappeared out of view and reappeared 30 seconds later, dragging a boy with him. The man stumbled as the boy struggled, then the two went out the door.</p><p>"Switch to the outside view, please," Regulus ordered. </p><p>The man and boy came out the front door, down the steps, and to the curb. There was a car there, Regulus could tell the it was idling because he could see the exhaust smoke billowing upwards. The man roughly pushed Harry into the backseat of the car and followed after him. A second later, the car took off. </p><p>"At least two perpetrators then," Regulus said.</p><p>"Look at that car, there's no way the greasy guy with the gun could afford a car that nice," Moody said. </p><p>Regulus agreed, it was a newer model Dodge Challenger, an expensive car. </p><p>"That's not a common color either, is that orange?"</p><p>"Yeah, with black stripes. We need to get a BOLO out. Fenwick! Get over here. We need a BOLO issued for an orange Dodge Challenger with black racing stripes. Then check to see if any cars matching that description have been reported stolen in the last month. Expand your search to the whole state and all neighboring states, these guys may have come from out of town."</p><p>Moody turned to Dawlish. "You get on the traffic cameras around the school, find where that car went, Dawlish."</p><p>"Hang on a minute, Dawlish," Regulus said. "Play the video inside the office again please." He thought he'd seen something.....</p><p>The video wasn't the best quality, it didn't seem likely that they'd be able to get a face picture from it. But maybe they'd be able to use it another way to get an ID....</p><p>"There! Stop it there! Take it back a second."</p><p>It was when the suspect was struggling with Harry in the lobby of the office. There was a moment when the man stumbled, and....</p><p>"Look! When he stumbled, he put his hand on the wall right there."</p><p>"Play it again, Dawlish," Moody ordered. He squinted. "Huh. Well spotted, Black. You think we can get fingerprints from the wall?"</p><p>"One way to find out," Regulus said, pulling out his cell phone. </p><p>"Barty? I need you to look for a handprint on the wall of the office. The guy put his hand on it, about halfway up the wall, higher than a kid could reach."</p><p>"Got it. I'll get elimination prints from the teachers, too."</p><p>"They're already on file, Barty, the school is one of those private ones that puts their teachers in the system. Just get that print back here, don't spare the horses."</p><p>"Ugh, you're so posh, I don't understand why I'm friends with you."</p><p>Regulus scoffed and hung up the phone. </p><p>"Black, you need to talk to the room, Captain expects it," Moody said.</p><p>Regulus sighed. "Alright."</p><p>He jumped up on a desk and whistled. People stopped talking and looked at him.</p><p>"Listen up! We've got surveillance from the school. We are looking for a white male, aged between 20 and 40, with long black hair. He's carrying a silver automatic handgun. He got away with the boy in an orange colored Dodge Challenger with black racing stripes, driven by a second, unknown suspect.</p><p>We need to work all theories at once. First, family dispute. We need to talk to the Potters' friends, family members, everyone they're close to. Second, inside job. Track down anyone who's worked for the Potters in the last year, maids, drivers, babysitters, everyone. Third, predators. We roust every kiddie diddler in this city, especially anyone who matches the description. Fourth, the sports angle, James Potter mentioned crazies sending threatening letters to the stadium. Fifth, everyone else. Anyone who might want to collect a ransom, any old friend with a grudge against the family, a terrorist trying to make a political statement, everything. </p><p>We are on a timeclock here, and the entire city is looking to us. We need to find this boy, and bring him home to his parents. Whatever differences you have with me, whatever you think of me, I don't care a damn right now. Let's go to work."</p><p>Regulus hopped down off the desk. Moody nodded at him. </p><p>"That'll keep the Captain happy."</p><p>"It'd better. I'm not doing it again, I've work to do."</p><p>******</p><p>James and Lily Potter had provided Kingsley with a list of their friends, people Regulus wanted to interview, partly to provide background, and partly for something to do while they waited for more information on either the car or the handprint to come in. Regulus didn't want to wait around the bullpen while other detectives did the canvassing, partly out of an anxious desire to DO something and partly because he didn't want Captain Crouch up his ass, or worse, to get shanghaied into a press conference.</p><p>He picked the name at the top of the list: Stanley Boardman. He recognized that name from what Kingsley had said, that he looked like Regulus and had a British accent, he was a little curious to see what this guy looked like. Besides, it wasn't often he got to talk to another Britisher these days.</p><p>Boardman was an advertising executive for the big firm in town, and had no criminal record, that was all Regulus knew. When he stopped outside of the nice house the man lived in uptown, he wasn't surprised. </p><p>"Someone's doing well for themselves," he mumbled. He wasn't jealous, he knew he could afford someplace this nice if he wanted to, but he spent all his time working, he wasn't home, what was the point?</p><p>Regulus rang the doorbell and waited. The door opened, and Regulus blinked, because he was staring at a ghost. The man seemed just as surprised to see him.</p><p>"Regulus?" the man finally said. </p><p>Regulus didn't know what to say. What exactly DO you say when suddenly confronted with the face of your long lost, presumed dead, hadn't seen in ten years brother?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you gonna come in, or just stand there in the bloody doorway?" Sirius said. He stood aside and let Regulus into the house. Regulus walked in, the numbness giving way to a growing feeling of bitterness.</p><p>"Been a long time, Stanley," Regulus said sarcastically. </p><p>"What are you doing here, Regulus?" Sirius said. "This isn't a great time, I'm supposed to have a cop over here interviewing me about one of my friends, so...."</p><p>He trailed off when Regulus held up his identification. His eyes widened.</p><p>"You're a..."</p><p>"Cop, yes."</p><p>"What? How?"</p><p>"Well, I went to the police academy, you see..."</p><p>"No! I mean what are you doing here, in America? Why aren't you at home, playing Lord of the Manor?"</p><p>Regulus' hands curled into fists. "Lord of the Manor?"</p><p>"Yes, I know Mother and Father are dead, I saw on the news. You should be the Earl now."</p><p>"Oh, I should, should I? Well, the only problem with your assessment is that it was never my bloody title to begin with. YOU are the bloody Earl of Orford, Sirius Black, not me."</p><p>"But....Mother and Father disinherited me when I ran away!"</p><p>"No, they didn't. Mother always figured you would come back. Anyway, they both died a year after you left. They didn't have time to disinherit you."</p><p>"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you're here."</p><p>"I came looking for you, you fuckwit!" Regulus exploded. Sirius flinched. But Regulus was angry now.</p><p>"I came to America to go to college, and to look for you, Sirius. I didn't have anything else, no friends in Britain that liked me instead of my money or position, no family that gave a damn. I....I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I wanted my brother back."</p><p>Sirius blanched. "You spent this whole time looking for me?"</p><p>"No, actually. By the time I graduated from college, I had stopped looking. I figured you were dead, Sirius. After all, my brother told me he loved me, that he would come back for me when he ran off. If he was alive he would have reached out to me, right?"</p><p>Regulus' voice rose higher and higher with each sentence.</p><p>"But...what about the manor house, the property?"</p><p>"I sold it. All of it."</p><p>"You sold it?!"</p><p>"I DIDN'T WANT IT SIRIUS! The house, the land, the peerage, I never wanted any of it! I just wanted YOU, you selfish son of a bitch!"</p><p>"Regulus, I wasn't living in the best situation when I came to America. You were underage, it was safer for you at home."</p><p>"Safer?" Regulus laughed. He shrugged his suit jacket off, not caring that it hit the floor and rumpled. He unbuttoned the sleeve of his shirt and rolled it up, revealing a series of ugly scars running up his arm.</p><p>"Cigarette burns, Sirius. Mother started doing it the day after you left. She threw things at me, hit me with cooking implements, and all the while she made sure to tell me that I was nothing to her and Father. That I wasn't half the man you were, that I was the faggoty little brother of the future Earl of Orford. The minute I was old enough, they were going to throw me out of the house without a penny."</p><p>Sirius was staring at Regulus' arm in shock as the younger man continued.</p><p>"They died before that could happen. It was all supposed to go to you, Sirius. That's how they had the will set up. EVERYTHING went to you. They only gave it to me after a year went by and you hadn't come forward to claim your inheritance."</p><p>"I could have waited, you know. Had you declared dead, taken the title for myself. But it was all ash to me, wasn't it? So yes, I got rid of it, I don't care if Lucius Malfoy burns it to the bloody ground. I took my money and I fucked off to America and I followed my roommate onto the cops. There, now you're all caught up."</p><p>Sirius was looking at the floor. "I...I thought you were better off without me."</p><p>Regulus scoffed. "You know what, I don't have time for this. I've got a kidnapped boy to find, I'll get background on the Potters from somebody else."</p><p>He turned to leave.</p><p>"Regulus wait!"</p><p>Sirius grabbed his arm. Regulus whipped his head around to look at his brother.</p><p>"I..." Sirius started.</p><p>"Do not TOUCH me or I'll have you arrested! You have no right to touch me, you bastard, NONE!"</p><p>Sirius let go but stared at him searchingly. "Regulus, you're still my brother."</p><p>Regulus stared back, his lip curling. "After ten years of no contact? Not one fucking phone call? No, you're not. We're strangers, Sirius. We don't even share the same name anymore, do we?"</p><p>And before Sirius could stop him, Regulus whirled around and left the house, slamming the door behind him.</p><p>******</p><p>"Detective Black."</p><p>"Reggie? It's Barty. Are you alright? You sound a bit off."</p><p>"I'm fine, Barty. What have you got?"</p><p>"The fingerprints came back with a match."</p><p>"Who?"</p><p>"One Severus Snape. Aged 29, got a long rap sheet, mostly shit he did as a teenager. Drugs, some gang activity. His mugshot certainly looks like the surveillance picture."</p><p>"Text me the picture."</p><p>Regulus was sitting in the parking lot of a Wendy's a few miles from his brother's house. He'd gone inside for something to eat, more to calm himself down than out of hunger. He sipped on his soda and when his phone pinged, stared down at the picture. He got a cold feeling running down his back, a sensation he'd learned never to ignore since he'd become a detective. This was the guy, he knew it. This was the guy that kidnapped Harry Potter.</p><p>"Where does this character live?"</p><p>"Listed address is his mother's old house in Spinner's End. Apparently lives there alone now since his mother died."</p><p>Regulus let out a breath. "Okay, we move on this now. We need a search warrant for his house."</p><p>"Moody is already on it."</p><p>"I want surveillance on the house now, the good van,  Captain Crouch will authorize it. And get a team together, we need to storm that house. We need his known associates, since we're looking for a second suspect. And get a picture of Snape to Kingsley to show the Potters, see if they know him."</p><p>"Got it. Where are you?"</p><p>"I'm going to Spinner's End now, meet me there, please."</p><p>"Alright. You sure you're alright Reggie?"</p><p>"I'm good, mate. Bring my bulletproof vest out of my locker, would you?"</p><p>"Sure. I'll meet you there."</p><p>******</p><p>Spinner's End was one of the worst parts of town. The Snape house was as bad as it came, with dirty, grimy windows and a porch that was clearly rotting. Regulus sat in the car down the block from the house, in the parking lot of a pharmacy, casually watching the front of the house for signs of movement.</p><p>He knew he needed to wait until the surveillance team arrived and could set up infrared on the house to see how many people were inside, and where they were. The thought that Snape could be inside right now, hurting Harry, haunted him. But he also knew storming in there guns blazing was not only a good way to get himself shot, but it could also be disasterous for Harry if he was alive and inside.</p><p>He recognized the way his hands were jittering on the steering wheel, and knew he needed to make another call.</p><p>"Reggie? How are you?"</p><p>"Hey Remus! Are you feeling any better?"</p><p>"Eh, the pain comes and goes. I should be out of here in a couple days. What about you? How's the big case coming?"</p><p>"I'm parked outside a suspect's house waiting for the cavalry to show up, trying to resist the urge to bust in there and play Robocop.</p><p>Remus laughed. "I know the feeling well. But Regulus, tell me, what's wrong?"</p><p>"What makes you think anything's wrong?"</p><p>"You've got that tremble in your voice that makes me believe I need to put my sponsor hat on."</p><p>"Ugh, fine, you caught me. Yes, I'm having a strong urge to drink right now."</p><p>"Alright, it's been awhile for you, what brought this on? The case?"</p><p>"No, well, yes. But no, not really. Ugh."</p><p>Remus waited while Regulus composed himself.</p><p>"I saw him today, Remus. I saw my brother."</p><p>"Really? You saw Sirius?"</p><p>"More than that, I talked to him. It was a total freak thing, I definitely wasn't looking for him, I knock on a door thinking I'm going to do canvassing and then bam, there he is."</p><p>"How is he?"</p><p>"Fine! Great, actually. He's got a new name, a high paying job, a nice house, rich friends, he's living the bloody dream, Sirius is."</p><p>"You don't sound thrilled by that."</p><p>"I haven't seen him in ten years, Remy. Ten years of thinking the only blood relation I have that didn't hate the sight of me was dead in a ditch somewhere. And it turns out that he's been fine this entire time, he just chose not to contact me. He knew our parents were dead and he still chose to stay away from me. How am I supposed to take that?"</p><p>"Did he say why?"</p><p>"Some shit about thinking I was better off without him. Once I showed him the scars on my arms he shut up about that."</p><p>"How do you feel, Regulus?"</p><p>"I feel like he abandoned me, that he doesn't care about me, that maybe he never did."</p><p>"I'm not sure any of that is true, you're feeling hurt and it makes sense that you would lash out. At the end of the day, he's still your brother."</p><p>"He said that too, at the end. I told him he wasn't anymore."</p><p>"Do you really feel that way? That you want to cut him out of your life forever?"</p><p>"Yes! No, I don't know!"</p><p>"Well like I said, you were angry, and you have a right to be. You haven't said anything you can't take back if you change your mind later."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Listen to me Regulus. No matter what your brother thinks of you, you still have people who care about you, who love you for who you are. Barty does, Kingsley does, Alastor does, I do. We're your friends, your ride or die, and we've got your back. You don't need to drink to feel that, do you?"</p><p>Regulus sighed. "No, I guess not. I don't think I was actually going to, you know. It's just, my hands started shaking, just like they did back then, and I could see my mother, and...."</p><p>He trailed off.</p><p>"I get it. You got called in on your day off, asked to work a frantic case, you're wired up on caffeine, you know you're not going to get any sleep, and you've had a big emotional shock. This will pass, Regulus. Solve the case, find the boy. You'll feel much better afterwards."</p><p>"Only if he's alive," Regulus said grimly, "I don't think I can handle having to tell the Potters if he's not."</p><p>"Until you know he's dead, he's alive, right? So don't cross that bridge until you have to."</p><p>"....Thank you Remus. I know its shitty of me to call you like this while you're in the hospital."</p><p>"Don't bullshit me. I'm your sponsor, this is what I signed up for. I'm also your friend, so I'd do this anyway."</p><p>"I know Remy, the same goes for you. Barty just pulled up, we gotta go hit this house. Feel better, alright?"</p><p>"I will. Good luck and be safe, okay?"</p><p>Regulus hung up the phone, closed his eyes, and took a couple deep breaths, the way Remus had taught him. His self pity party was over now, he needed to get to work.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The door to the interrogation room banged open, and Regulus swept into it, carrying a folder. Severus Snape was in the chair at the other end of the room, staring at him but saying nothing.</p><p>Regulus sat down in the other chair, deliberately not making eye contact, shuffling his papers. This was the biggest interrogation of his life. Captain Crouch was watching through the camera, and so were most of his fellow detectives. The video would probably get back to the chief of police eventually. With a puff to let his held in breath out, he finally looked up at his suspect and began.</p><p>"Mr. Snape. Detective Crouch gave you your Miranda warning already, correct?"</p><p>Snape nodded once, up, down, and back to center. </p><p>"Good. Now I want you to listen to me, Mr. Snape, and not say anything. I want to lay out what I've got here."</p><p>He set a picture down in front of Snape. </p><p>"This is surveillance video of you at the school."</p><p>Another photo slapped down.</p><p>"This is your handprint on the wall of the lobby, proving you were there."</p><p>Another photo slapped down, harder.</p><p>"This is the gun we recovered from your house, which is not only illegal for you to possess as a convicted felon, but I'm going to guess the blood on the barrel will match the secretary you struck with it.</p><p>A final photo slammed down on the table, hard enough to make Snape flinch.</p><p>"And this, my friend, is the tie from Harry Potter's school uniform, found in your home, Mr. Snape. His parents have already identified it. In conclusion, sir, I have you. I know you kidnapped Harry Potter this afternoon. What I want to know, is why."</p><p>Regulus stared at Snape, who shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. Then he spoke.</p><p>"He should have been mine."</p><p>"Beg pardon?"</p><p>"He should have been my son."</p><p>"How do you reckon that?"</p><p>Snape swallowed.</p><p>"I went to school with Lily. We were friends, long before that asshole James Potter came along. He stole her from me! She should have been with ME. I LOVED HER before she ever met that big headed baseball jock!"</p><p>"So this was about revenge? You wanted to hurt Harry to get back at the Potters?"</p><p>"No! I don't want to hurt anyone. Harry is a good kid, he has Lily's eyes."</p><p>"Why'd you take him then?"</p><p>"To show Lily I'd be a better father to Harry than James. That rich prick is gone all year long, putting his face on TV, he doesn't pay any attention to his own son."</p><p>"So what was your plan?"</p><p>"In a few days after stuff calmed down, I guess, I was going to call Lily, and tell her where to find us. When she got there, she'd see how much better I am with Harry...."</p><p>"She'd leave James and live happily ever after with you."</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Okay, Severus, I can respect that. You did all this out of love, right? You didn't want to hurt anyone, right?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"That's all good, Severus. Here's the thing though. I need you to tell me where Harry is. I bet he's really scared right now, its dark out, he's in an unfamiliar place, missing his mother, Severus. Lily looked me in the eyes today, Severus, and she asked me, she begged me, to bring her son home to her. You know Lily's eyes, right? They bore into your soul. If you care about either of them, Severus, you'll tell me where he is."</p><p>Snape blinked but said nothing. Regulus decided to try a different tactic. He slammed his fist onto the table with a loud bang, startling the suspect, then Regulus rose to his feet so he was looming over him.</p><p>"Goddamn it, tell me where he is! Is he with your partner, the one who drove the car? I swear to you, Snape, if a single hair on that boy's hair is harmed, you will go down for this!"</p><p>Regulus leaned forward so he was whispering in Snape's ear.</p><p>"Tell me where he is, or I swear, you WILL NOT like what happens next."</p><p>Regulus knew where the line was. He also knew he was brushing right up against it right now, but even now, he wouldn't go over it. He wouldn't hit a suspect in custody. But there was no reason to let Snape know that. The man visibly quailed under the implied threat.</p><p>"He's with Roddy."</p><p>"Who is Roddy?"</p><p>"Roddy Lestrange. He's my friend from the old days. He drove the car. Roddy took him for tonight, I was gonna pick him up in the morning, take him out of town."</p><p>"Where? Roddy's house?"</p><p>"I guess, I didn't ask."</p><p>Regulus whirled around and headed for the door. Then he stopped and turned back around. </p><p>"God help you if anything has happened to that boy, Snape."</p><p>Then he was out the door. </p><p>"Very smooth, Black," Captain Crouch said, nodding. "What's our next move?"</p><p>"Dawlish?" Regulus turned to the other detective, already on his computer.</p><p>"Rodolphus Lestrange. Former gang lieutenant. Known associate of Severus Snape. Has a house in midtown. Doesn't drive an orange Challenger, though."</p><p>"We need to hit that house, now. Alastor, can you get a team together?"</p><p>"On it," Moody said, pulling out his cell phone.</p><p>"Captain," Regulus said, "Can you talk to the media? We need to keep the fact that we've arrested Snape out of the news for as long as possible. I'm worried that as soon as Lestrange hears we have Snape in custody, he'll get rid of Harry and make a run for it."</p><p>Crouch made a face. "You're right. I'll see what I can do, most of these guys owe me a few favors. But you need to move fast, Black. Case this big, we won't be able to keep that hidden for long. Use whatever departmental resources you have to, but find that boy alive."</p><p>"I'm on it, Captain."</p><p>******</p><p>"Police! Don't move!" </p><p>The cops swarmed through the house, guns drawn, sweeping rooms looking for bad guys.</p><p>"Clear!"</p><p>"Clear!"</p><p>"Clear!" Regulus called out, then holstered his gun. "Shit, there's nobody here."</p><p>"I suppose it would have been too easy to just find the kid here, wouldn't it?" Barty said.</p><p>"Alright, mates!" Regulus called out. "Turn this bloody house upside down, find us a lead to tell us where this bastard's gone! McKinnon, get ahold of Dawlish, I want all of Lestrange's known associates, we need to roust ALL of them at once. We need to hurry before its too late."</p><p>While the other detectives fanned out throughout the house, Regulus stepped outside. He was afraid, scared that they were going to be too late, and he was going to find this boy's dead body in a field somewhere. He knew arresting Snape was the right thing to do, but what if foiling the man's plan led to Harry Potter's death, as his co-conspirator panicked?</p><p>He looked up at the sky.</p><p>"God, listen. I know we haven't gotten on very well lately. I'll admit I've felt you haven't done me many favors in my life. But I'm asking you here, let me find this boy before its too late. Not for me, for him. For his mother, his father. I guess for me too though, please don't ask me to endure that woman's eyes haunting me the rest of my life, I'm begging you, I won't be able to handle it."</p><p>******</p><p>By 7AM, Regulus was convinced that God had let him down, again. They'd spent the night tearing across the city, but they had found no trace of Rodolphus Lestrange, the orange Challenger, or Harry Potter. Nobody, it seemed, knew anything, and Regulus could feel the investigation running out of steam. </p><p>Regulus was parked in the lot of a 24 hour diner, unable to face his colleagues back in the bullpen. He couldn't bear them asking him what to do next, because the truth was, he didn't know. Maybe he was too inexperienced to run this case, and he'd gotten this kid killed. Maybe he should have never left England....</p><p>Okay, he needed to do something before he went down that road. He flicked onto Roddy Lestrange's Facebook page. Maybe the idiot posted where he was keeping Harry on there for the likes.</p><p>Unfortunately he hadn't, but he scrolled through his post history anyway, looking for a clue. Suddenly he stopped. It was a post from three weeks ago, that seemed innocuous enough. Roddy was sitting at an Olive Garden, posing with another guy. "Dinner with little bro!" was the caption.</p><p>The other man was tagged "Rab Lestrange." At first Regulus didn't register why this post stood out. Then it hit him: Lestrange's file said nothing about a brother. He clicked on Rab's profile.</p><p>Rab didn't post much, he was able to quickly scroll through the last few months. Then, on a post six months ago, he froze.</p><p>"Look at my awesome new ride!" the post said. And right there, staring Regulus right in the face, was the goddamn orange Dodge Challenger with black racing stripes. A chill ran down his spine. He switched over to the police information system. Rabastan Lestrange had no criminal record, but he was the registered owner of a Dodge Challenger, color "ORG". Goddamn it.</p><p>The address was only five minutes from where he was, and he was already pulling out of the parking lot when he called Barty.</p><p>"Did we send anyone to check out Roddy Lestrange's brother?"</p><p>"I didn't know he even had a brother."</p><p>"Neither did I until I saw it on Facebook. Guess what kinda car he drives?"</p><p>"What's his name?"</p><p>"Rabastan Lestrange."</p><p>".....Oh shit."</p><p>"Exactly. Get everyone, I mean everyone, over to this place in Kempton now. But keep it quiet, no lights, no sirens, we don't want to spook them."</p><p>"You're right. Where are you?"</p><p>"I'm on the way there now."</p><p>******</p><p>Once again Regulus was the first one on the scene. It was an unassuming enough place, in the heart of suburbia. He was willing to bet the car under the tarp in the driveway was their vehicle, these guys were smart enough to know everyone in the city was looking for an orange Challenger, not exactly a common car. </p><p>Regulus parked across the street, and watched. He called Barty.</p><p>"I see one person, male, he's in the kitchen. Don't have too many cars come down this street, come down the back and sides."</p><p>"Got it, we'll be there in ten minutes."</p><p>"Aren't there any uniforms that can get here sooner?"</p><p>"You said you wanted it quiet."</p><p>"Shit, I guess you're right."</p><p>Regulus started to sweat, despite the coolness of the morning air. This was it, it had to be.</p><p>He was caught completely off guard when one of the upstairs windows shattered, raining glass down on the front sidewalk. A wooden chair, apparently thrown through the window, slammed to the ground and broke into pieces. Later investigation of the incident showed that the dashboard camera mounted on Regulus' car captured the moment clearly.</p><p>"What the hell was that?" Barty said.</p><p>"The window just broke, someone threw a...."</p><p>"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"</p><p>It was a little boy's voice, coming from the window that had just broken. Regulus' blood froze solid in his veins. Then it got worse.</p><p>"You little fuckwit! I'll kill you for that!"</p><p>During his police academy training, the sergeant said something that always stuck with Regulus:</p><p>"There may come a time in your career where you have a gut feeling, that if you don't act right NOW, you, or someone else, is going to get hurt or killed. Your job as a police officer is to protect the lives of the innocent, and that might mean going into a dangerous situation, without waiting for backup, because waiting means someone dies. When you get that gut feeling, you put your life on the line, to protect others, because that is what separates good cops from everyone else."</p><p>"Barty," Reggie said quietly, suddenly breathless, "I can't wait for you. I have to go in now."</p><p>"No!" Barty yelled, suddenly panicked. "Reggie, it's too dangerous! You can't...."</p><p>But Regulus had already hung up the phone. It was as if he was moving in slow motion, as he opened the car door and stepped out, drawing his pistol from the holster under his coat. Flicking the safety off, he started jogging towards the door. The dashboard camera filmed his approach, and his textbook kick of the front door, storming into the house.</p><p>Regulus couldn't hear anything but the sound of his own loud breathing. He cleared the front hallway and then turned into the kitchen, surprising a man there holding a large kitchen knife.</p><p>"Police! Drop the knife now!"</p><p>The man did. Regulus recognized him as Rabastan Lestrange from the driver's license photo.</p><p>"Hands behind your head!"</p><p>Regulus pushed the man face first into the refrigerator.</p><p>"Where's the boy? Tell me right now!"</p><p>"Upstairs," the man grunted. "Smaller bedroom."</p><p>"Is there anyone else in the house?"</p><p>Before Rabastan could answer, there was a loud CHI-CHI sound. Regulus knew what the sound of a pump action shotgun was, and whirled around to see one being leveled at him. Again, it was as if time slowed down, and Regulus acted without thinking, throwing himself out of the way, down the hallway he'd come from, just as an explosion emanated from the area of the back door.</p><p>"Ah! You son of a bitch, Roddy! You shot ME!" Rabastan said, holding his arm.</p><p>"You should have gotten out of the way, then!"</p><p>Using his hands, Regulus scrambled to his feet, running pell mell down the hallway towards the stairs. He got around the bend and onto the steps just in time, as another blast of buckshot ripped through the air just where he had been a second before. After hauling ass up the stairs, he turned around and leveled his gun on the downstairs landing. Roddy was cautious though, he didn't just run into the landing, he tried to maneuver the shotgun around without exposing himself. Unfortunately for him, as he attempted it, he put his foot on the landing, right in Regulus' line of fire.</p><p>Regulus fired two shots, one of which hit the foot. Roddy groaned in pain and fell backwards, the foot disappearing into the hallway, leaving blood behind.</p><p>That should hold him for a bit, Regulus thought, and started down the upstairs hallway. He cleared the master bedroom first, finding nothing. Going into the second bedroom, he discovered this was where the window had been broken. The place was a mess. Heart pounding, he cleared the room, including under the bed. The only thing left was the closet.</p><p>When Regulus threw it open, he found a boy blinking at him. Harry didn't look hurt, but he was obviously scared, and crying.</p><p>"Are you Harry?" Regulus said quietly. The boy nodded. "Harry, my name is Reggie, I'm a police officer, I'm going to get you out of here, alright?"</p><p>Another nod. "Stay here for a second, okay?"</p><p>There was a tall, heavy dresser standing next to the door. Regulus tipped it over with a crash, blocking the doorway. Then he tipped the bed over on end, leaning the frame and the mattress against the door frame. That would probably hold long enough for backup to arrive, but with the bad guy wielding what sounded like 4 gauge, which was a military grade ammo, he knew he needed to get both of them out of there now.</p><p>He took off his suit jacket and used it to clear the remaining glass from the window, then laid it over the frame.</p><p>"Harry, we're going out the window, come here please."</p><p>The boy shakily got to his feet and walked over to him. </p><p>"I'm going to lower you out the window onto that awning, and you're going to wait for me there, alright? Don't try and climb down on your own."</p><p>Harry nodded. Regulus instructed him to put one leg through the window frame, then the other, facing back towards the house, holding onto Regulus as he strained to drop the boy down onto the awning that stretched over the front porch of the house.</p><p>He heard shouting behind him, and then another shotgun round going off, which went through the door and into the mattress, which absorbed most of the impact. Regulus felt something hit his bulletproof vest, but it didn't hurt, so he paid it no mind. He fired three shots through the bed frame and out the door, judging by the groaning sound that he'd hit something. Then he forced himself through the window, not being nearly as careful as he was with Harry and cutting himself in the process, but he dropped onto the awning without incident. </p><p>"I'm going to lower you down, as soon as your feet hit the ground, you run and hide behind that car across the street, you see?"</p><p>Harry did so, with Regulus close behind. He first thought to throw the boy in the car and peal out of there, but worried that they'd get a shot off as he left.</p><p>"Lay down on the floor of the backseat. Put this over your head," he said, stripping off his vest and handing it to the boy. As Harry complied, Regulus crouched down behind the rear wheel of his car, gun leveled at the front door. A few seconds later, Rab charged through it, holding the shotgun.</p><p>"Put the gun down!" Regulus yelled.</p><p>"You bastard! You killed my brother!"</p><p>Rab fired, peppering the car with buckshot. Regulus returned fire, striking him in the chest. He fell backwards, shotgun clattering away on the sidewalk.</p><p>Regulus leaned over to look into the backseat. "Harry are you hurt?"</p><p>"No," the boy replied, the first word he'd spoken to the detective. </p><p>"Okay, just stay where you are, please." Regulus kept his gun trained on the house, he didn't know where the other brother was, after all.</p><p>Sirens wailed as a swarm of police cars flooded the street. They formed a perimeter around the house. </p><p>"What's the situation, Black?" Meadowes, a patrol officer he'd gone through the academy with called out.</p><p>"One down out here, another one inside. I shot his foot, might have again, I'm not sure. I don't know if he has another weapon besides that shotgun on the sidewalk.</p><p>"And the boy?"</p><p>"He's here, with me," Regulus said, and as he said it, he felt as if a boa constrictor had been removed from around his heart. He had Harry Potter, here, in his car. Alive, and safe. Thank God.</p><p>Meadowes and her partner went into the house, and a couple minutes later, came back out, waving the all clear. Roddy was dead upstairs. One of the shots Regulus had fired through the doorway had caught him in the throat and he'd collapsed and bled out right there.</p><p>It was over.</p><p>"Harry," Regulus said gently. "Harry, you can come out now. You're safe, now."</p><p>Harry crawled out of the car and stood next to where Regulus was slumped on the ground behind his car, big green eyes blinking at him.</p><p>"You're bleeding," he said, pointing to Regulus' left hand, where sure enough, blood was dripping down onto his shirtsleeve.</p><p>"Oh," Regulus said, looking at it. "I guess I am."</p><p>An ambulance had pulled up, and the paramedics came around the car, looking over Harry. Regulus saw there were suddenly uniforms everywhere. People were coming out of their houses to gawk at the scene, and from behind the wall of cop cars Regulus could see the first news van arriving.</p><p>"We're taking him to the hospital to get checked out," the paramedic said. "And you're coming too. That hand will need stitches."</p><p>"Oh, bloody hell," Regulus said, mildly irritated, "I don't..."</p><p>"Go with them, Black," Captain Crouch said, coming around the car now. "You need to get checked out too."</p><p>Regulus blinked at his captain. "I guess you need this, for the Internal Affairs Inquiry."</p><p>He held his gun out, butt first, and Captain Crouch took it.</p><p>"Do you need my badge, too?" he asked. Crouch shook his head.</p><p>"No, son. You've more than earned the right to keep that badge." </p><p>He squeezed Regulus' shoulder and smiled.</p><p>"Hell of a job, Reggie," he said, voice breaking.</p><p>Regulus didn't feel like he had the energy to smile back, so he just nodded, and numbly allowed himself to be steered towards the ambulance.</p><p>******</p><p>Barty found Regulus in the hospital hallway, after his hand had been stitched up and he'd answered some initial questions from Internal Affairs about the shooting. </p><p>"You stupid fucker!" Barty said, hitting him in the shoulder. "Why would you go and do something so stupid?"</p><p>Then he hugged him. "God, I'm so proud of you, you idiot. I don't know how you didn't get your head blown off."</p><p>"I don't either," Regulus confessed.</p><p>"The whole department is talking about you. Chief is going to give you a medal."</p><p>"Oh Christ," Regulus groaned. He hated the thought of that much attention on him.</p><p>"Don't 'oh Christ' me! Do you have any idea what you just DID? I mean besides scaring me half to death?"</p><p>He steered Regulus around a corner, and there was Kingsley, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Mom and Dad had apparently just been reunited with Harry, as they were hugging him tightly.</p><p>"You did that, Reggie," Barty said quietly. "You did that, and you're going to take every bit of praise that gets thrown your way, because you deserve it."</p><p>They watched Kingsley bend down and say something, and then all three Potters were looking at them. Lily Potter stood up and marched over to them, leaving her son with James.</p><p>"I don't even know what to say to you right now," she said when she reached them, her words watery.</p><p>"You don't have to say anything," Regulus replied.</p><p>"They told me Severus did this, that he wanted to get to me," she said.</p><p>"He did it because he was deranged, Mrs. Potter. Don't blame yourself. He's going to prison and his friends are dead."</p><p>"Because of you," she said. Regulus didn't reply. Then she grabbed Regulus by the neck and kissed him full on the mouth.</p><p>"Thank you," she said when she pulled back, "Thank you for keeping your promise."</p><p>Then she turned and went back to her family, leaving Regulus standing there blinking in confusion about what just happened.</p><p>"Thinking about changing your mind about liking women as well as men?" Barty said, elbowing him in the side.</p><p>"Shut the fuck up, Barty," Regulus said irritably. "We're going to see Remus and then we're going home. And YOU are buying me pizza, since I'm this big hero now."</p><p>Barty saluted him, then before Regulus could stop him, he grabbed hold of Regulus and HE kissed him full on the mouth. Then he jogged away laughing as Regulus chased him, until a nurse yelled at them about running in the goddamn hallways like a bunch of children.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Barty, you know I don't mind talking to you, but can I ask why you're calling me when you're supposed to be working?"</p><p>"I'm on my lunch break! And I'm checking on you!"</p><p>"Barty, we live together. You are literally going to see me when you get home."</p><p>"Well excuse me for being concerned!"</p><p>Regulus laughed. Barty may be, well, himself, but his heart was in the right place.</p><p>"Well, like I told Remus, and Kingsley, and Alastor, when they all called, separately, I'm fine Barty. I'm not here at home brooding, wallowing in self pity, or feeling sorry for myself."</p><p>"You been playing your game?"</p><p>"Yeah, I thought it might be problematic because of, you know, the gun stuff, but it hasn't bothered me at all."</p><p>"Well if you start feeling down, you let me know, alright? I'll come home."</p><p>"Yes, Mother."</p><p>Regulus ended the call and shook his head. It was sweet how much his friends cared for his wellbeing like this. But, he'd been telling the truth: he didn't feel bothered by what had happened. Some cops had a hard time after being involved in a shooting, and Regulus could understand that. But all Regulus could think about was what would have happened if he hadn't shot those two men. The thought of finding that boy's body in a ditch or a field somewhere was far more nightmare inducing than putting those two bastards in the ground. All he was doing now was sitting out his paid administrative leave while the Internal Affairs boys investigated the shooting, then he could go back to work.</p><p>There was a knock at the door. Regulus sighed and got up to answer it. He swore that if the boys in the bullpen sent him an Edible Arrangement or something, he was going to kill them. </p><p>To his surprise, when he opened the door, he found himself face to face with James Potter.</p><p>"Umm, hi," the man said awkwardly.</p><p>"Mr. Potter! What are you doing here?" Regulus asked.</p><p>"Oh, umm, Kingsley gave me your address, and I wanted to come by and.....I don't know, thank you, I guess?"</p><p>"That's okay, sir, that's not necessary. I was just doing my job."</p><p>James fixed him with a piercing look. "I know cops, Detective Black. You did more than your job."</p><p>Plenty of people had told him that in the last few days, but hearing it from James filled him with warmth.</p><p>"Would you like to come in?" Regulus said, holding the door open. "Only it's just, if you keep standing in the hallway my neighbor's liable to see you and have a heart attack from sheer excitement."</p><p>James chuckled as he stepped into the apartment and Regulus shut the door. </p><p>"Nice place you got here. Kingsley says you live with Captain Crouch's son?"</p><p>"Yeah, Barty. We met in college, been best mates ever since. He's the one that convinced me to become a police officer."</p><p>James was looking at a photograph of Regulus and Barty the day they'd graduated from the police academy. </p><p>"I've been trying to figure out a way to thank you, properly you know, since we saw you in the hospital. Lily got to talk to you, but I was with Harry."</p><p>"Like I said, you don't have to thank me."</p><p>"Lily and I, we'd like to have you over for dinner. Harry, he...he won't stop talking about how 'cool' you were. He'd love to see you again, we'd all...like to see you in a situation that isn't...well, so dire."</p><p>"I, umm, sure, why not?"</p><p>"Only if you're comfortable with it, of course..."</p><p>"No, yeah, that sounds fine, James."</p><p>James brightened. "Yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Alright, great! If you give me your number, I can text you and we'll set it up?"</p><p>Regulus did, and with a few more pleasantries, James was out the door. </p><p>"Well," Regulus said out loud when he closed the door, "That was WEIRD."</p><p>Then he pulled out his phone.</p><p>"Reggie my man! You going stir crazy sitting at home?"</p><p>"Not exactly, Kingsley. James just left."</p><p>"Oh yeah?"</p><p>"Since when are you giving out my home address to people without asking first?"</p><p>Kingsley chuckled. "They're good people, Reggie. And you need more friends."</p><p>"I have plenty of friends!" Regulus protested. </p><p>"Friends that aren't cops, Regulus. When was the last time you went out on a date?"</p><p>"So, what? You're setting me up with a married couple? To be their houseboy?"</p><p>"No!" Kingsley laughed. "I was just using an example. You need friends outside the job, or else you're going to end up marrying another cop."</p><p>"Not bloody likely," Regulus sighed. "I'm apparently the only gay cop in the department."</p><p>"All the more reason. So you going to go to dinner with them?"</p><p>"Yes," Regulus said dramatically, "I'd appreciate next time if you gave me a heads-up first, mate."</p><p>"Alright, alright," Kingsley said. "If it's any consolation, I asked him first what he was going to do. I wouldn't have given him the address if I didn't trust him."</p><p>"Yeah I know, Kingsley. I trust you. Now get back to work already, I don't want to have to solve all the city's crimes when I get back."</p><p>Kingsley laughed and hung up. </p><p>Regulus had just gone into the kitchen, thinking to make himself a sandwich for lunch, when another knock came at his door.</p><p>"Oh for fuck's sake," he grumbled, going to answer it. </p><p>It was Sirius.</p><p>"Can I come in?" he asked, shuffling awkwardly.</p><p>Regulus just sighed and turned away from the door so his brother could follow. Sirius closed the door behind him and followed Regulus into the kitchen.</p><p>"So if I didn't already know you were a cop here in the city before, I definitely would now," he said, holding up a newspaper. The headline read HERO COP SAVES KIDNAPPED POTTER CHILD. Underneath was a uniformed picture of Regulus, alongside a school photo of Harry Potter.</p><p>"Yeah I've got one of those too," Regulus said, pouring himself a glass of soda. "It's funny though, I read the article, and it didn't list my address. So how did you find me?"</p><p>Sirius looked at him, frowning. "James mentioned he was coming to see you. So I, uhh, I followed him, and waited until he left."</p><p>"Well, look at you!" Regulus said sarcastically, "Proper detective work, that. You'll be after my job next."</p><p>Sirius twitched, but didn't rise to the bait. "I wanted to talk to you, Reggie."</p><p>"I don't see that we have anything to talk about."</p><p>"Well, we didn't leave things on a positive note the last time we talked..."</p><p>"Which time was that?" Regulus asked. "When I surprised you in your house, or the time before that, when you abandoned me in a home full of sociopaths?"</p><p>"Regulus, I'm trying to talk to you here!" Sirius protested. "Can't you just let me...."</p><p>Regulus slammed his glass down on the table, sloshing drink over the side.</p><p>"No, Sirius, no. I'm NOT going to make it easier for you to come in here, after ten years, with some half assed apology to ease your guilty conscience! If you're worried that I'm going to spill your big secret to your friends at dinner, don't worry! It's none of my business, I won't say anything. In fact, I'll make an excuse to James why I can't go. I'd hate to fuck up your perfect life, Stanley."</p><p>Regulus turned away from him, grabbing a towel off the rack with more force than he intended and started wiping his hands off. Behind him, Sirius sighed.</p><p>"I deserve that. I deserve every insult and bad feeling you throw at me, Reggie, I know that. If...if the situation were reversed, I'd hate me too."</p><p>Regulus turned back around, sinking into one of the chairs.</p><p>"I don't hate you, Sirius, I never did. I...I mourned you. I figured I'd never see you again. And then to see you, after all this time...to find out that you got away clean, while I'm a giant mess....it's too much."</p><p>"I wanted to come back for you, Reggie. But you were underage, they would have sent the police after us."</p><p>"They would have sent the police after YOU, Sirius," Regulus said. "I already told you they didn't care about me. Not once I came out publicly and ruined their plans to marry me off."</p><p>"Yes, well, I didn't realize that at the time, and believe me, I'm going to go to my grave haunted by that."</p><p>"Why didn't you reach out all these years then? I've been an adult a long time."</p><p>Sirius had sat down too. "Because I was a coward. And because I thought too much time had gone by. I thought you were fine, Reggie. Once they died, I thought you inherited everything and you were fine, and you didn't need me to come along and mess things up for you. I'd already messed up so much, I figured I owed you that much."</p><p>Regulus scoffed. "Sorry things didn't go to plan."</p><p>"No, I'M sorry, Regulus. For everything. And there's nothing half assed about that."</p><p>"That doesn't make everything alright, you know."</p><p>"No, I know that. But, Regulus, after you left my house, I did a lot of thinking. I can't bear the thought of us living in the same city and having no contact. I want to be your brother again."</p><p>Regulus sipped his drink. "I don't even know how that will work, Sirius."</p><p>"Maybe we could go out sometime? Get a drink? Talk?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>Sirius' face fell. "Regulus, I..."</p><p>"Oh my God, let me finish, you twat. I won't go to a bar with you, because I don't...I can't drink. I've been sober for two years, alright?"</p><p>"Oh, that makes sense. I didn't know that."</p><p>"Well there you go, that's me sharing, isn't it?"</p><p>"Maybe we could get food then?" Sirius suggested, hopefully.</p><p>Regulus sighed. "Yeah, alright. I don't know when I'll be able to, my work schedule is pretty hectic."</p><p>"We'll work something out," Sirius said. "Listen, Reggie. I don't want you to cancel on James and Lily. They're good people, and after what you did, they're not going to just leave you alone. I'm going to tell them anyway, tonight. The whole thing."</p><p>"Why would you do that?" Regulus asked incredulously. </p><p>"Because it'll make your life easier."</p><p>"How is telling your friend your secrets going to make MY life easier?"</p><p>"I'm not just going to tell him. I'm going to tell everyone. I'll go public, reclaim the title you didn't want, ensure the lawyers leave you alone."</p><p>"You'll want half the money too, I expect."</p><p>"No, I don't need money. I'm not going to take anything from you, Regulus."</p><p>"You'd do that? Why? Why now?"</p><p>"Because a long time ago, I called you a coward. But it was me, I was the coward. And I need to stop hiding."</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>